which i need for the dinner i'm making right now that's burning on the stove cause my spices are a heaping mess in the pantry then all fall out of the bucket cause i'm looking for the paprika which happens to be at the bottom of this bottomless bucket of spices other expired things

really ... you think i kid

i do not.

this is what we're starting this project with ... a few buckets of heaping confusion

everything looks like paprika when you're in a rush to find it

(what is paprika anyway? does it really do anything??)

(besides make things red?)

to get this act together i used half-pint mason jars

spray paint the lids with Krylon chalkboard paint (joanns)

and i painted the rings with Rustoleum 2X coverage in aqua

(not a necessary step in the whole organizing process)

(necessary step for cuteness factor process)

(plus it matches the polka dots in my drawer liner paper)

.... and! some polka dot wrapping paper (Target)

what's the best place for spices in your kitchen?

i wanted to move them to a half empty drawer that really wasn't being used to it's fullest of potentials

instead of running around my island over to the pantry (in a hurry) ...

opening a drawer and scanning names seemed like a much more efficient way to store & locate what was needed (and save a dinner or two from the jaws of scorchment)

i like the idea of using wrapping paper to line drawers ... the top side has a bit of a gloss finish to it, great for clean up ... when it gets stained or torn, it's easy enough to toss and cut a new piece ... and a much cheaper alternative to the typical cabinet & drawer liners found in most houseware sections

(fyi: Hobby Lobby has a great wrapping paper selction,

very thick paper and super durable)

measure, cut and fit

i sprayed my lids with 2 coats of chalkboard paint ... i would highly recommend a primer first

as i later found that my chalkboard marker tip scratched some paint off a few of the lids

i prefer the markers to real chalk, it has a finer tip to fit more letters into small spaces :)

and it doesn't brush off as easily

now all you need is a set of cute measuring spoons

for all the measuring & using of spices you'll be doing

cause your spice drawer is so dang cute

paprika anyone?

i hope to purge & simplify other problem areas in our house throughout the year

in hopes that our home will run more efficiently

then our time together will be spent more ...well ... together!

i'm still working on my year long menu plan

that i can't wait to share with you

(with printables!)

i've been working on a few other spots in the kitchen this past week too

I'm literally jumping up and down with joy right now! I have a ton of those little jars (don't ask, a FAILED attempt at edible teacher gifts) and I thought "these would be super cute for spices". I even wanted to do chalkboard tops, but I only had chalkboard PAINT. I didn't even realize they made spray. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!

So cute and so organized (two of my favorite things!)! Thanks for sharing your great idea. I hate having all the different spice jars anyway, I like having everything in the same container. Your drawer would make me happy every time I'd open it. And I love your handwriting! I'd have to borrow that :). Thanks again for sharing! It's been pinned! Have a great day!

I buy my spices in bulk and store then in the small canning jars and also buttons, laces, other items I sew with - where would we be without these jars. I've been looking for a new way to label them and was gearing up for the chalk way. Where did you get the pen? Great ideas and if I had an empty drawer I would do the same - or wait - maybe I need to empty one of my 2 kitchen drawers for this! Thanks for enhancing my thoughts.

Great post and wonderful idea. I may be a copycat and do this one too! Sadly your disorganization doesn't seem disorganized to me J. I think you might faint if you saw my pantry right now, altho I did throw out the kid's halloween candy yesterday.

Congrats on all your magazine features. You deserve it and I can't wait to see you featured! xoxoxo

SO great! Aqua and chalkboard....a perfect pair. You lost me at paprika though. I am SO not a cook and have never used paprika. I know my mother in law sprinkles it on her deviled eggs, but that's it. Haha. My poor husband. He loves good food :/Can not wait to see you in the mag!! Livin' the dream :)Happy new year!!

Aren't spice drawers the greatest?! I shudder to admit this but I have 2 (yes TWO) spice drawers and a spice basket in the top of my cabinet. However we do buy some spices in bulk, I grow some herbs (such as basil, thyme, lavender, oregano, lemon thyme, rosemary) and we make up our own mixes for chile powder, taco spice mix, pickling spices...so it is necessary for the extra storage. I love the idea of chalkboard paint & chalk pens though! We have used a label maker for years but I am beginning to wonder about the wisdom in that as it takes up so much space in the drawer. I think it will be "going" to "market" soon! Yes all in the name of decluttering! :)

Congratulations on the magazine features! That is truly wonderful!!

Have a wonderful day! And thank you for being such an inspiration to us all!

Jamie, very creatitive! I love the touch of blue for the top ring! I started a brand new link party and would love for you to share your spice project. http://designeddecor.com/talkin-about-thursday-1/Happy New Year!

Super cute and great idea. We use a drawer for our spices too and it's SO much better then whatever we did before. However I have wanted to have them all in the same containers instead of now, I label them with just a little round circle label on their original container. Since we have an abundant of regularly used spices, that labeling system isn't working as well. I think we'll try this with some of my chalkboard vinyl! And make it cuter with that wrapping paper! Thanks for the great idea! :)

Such a great idea! Love this! We would love for you to share this at our Kitchen Fun and Crafty link party! http://kitchenfunwithmy3sons.blogspot.com/2013/01/kitchen-fun-and-crafty-friday-link-party.html?m=1

Oh how FUN! I am a spice addict. My spices are in glass jars, but in varying sizes in several square baskets. Using the same sized jars in a drawer would be fabulous! I love the chalk board tops and blue rims. Yay! Thanks oodles for the inspiration.

You are such a rock star! I'll be looking for yo in BHG!Just love that magazine!

I just read and reviewed your refrigerator post and now I'm dumb founded how awesome your spices are organized!

I've seen and thought about using chalk for kitchen labels but I'm very unsure about it. You mentioned that the chalk markers don't smudge as much but are they hard to clean off? I want everything in my kitchen to have a place, label and of course organized in an amazing and tasteful way, {cough cough:: Just like yours ::cough cough} but I don't want to create more work for myself in the long run.Are you still enjoying your chalk labels or have you had second thoughts about it? I would love to know your thoughts and opinions! :)

You have great style. I just love these little spice jars. I hope to do something similar here soon as I finish up my kitchen. I am hosting my very first link party and would love it if you could link up.

This turned out beautifully! And, I have the same measuring spoons!Love for you to stop by and check out some of my project:www.dosmallthingswithlove.comAlso, I host and "oldies" link party on Tuesdays--a way to get come traffic out of our awesome, but old projects we posted long ago.Hope to see you there--and excited to be following you via rss.Nancy

Following you after finding you at The 36th Avenue. FYI - what caught my attention was the wonderfully clever name of your blog - LOVE IT! Would love for you to visit me in my bloggy neighborhood at feel LOVD everyday! LOVD tidings, Lilly

thank you :) the mason jars were from Target (i found them during the summer)they are 4oz jars... the chalk marker is from Michaels, and the wrapping paper just sits inside the drawer, the weight of the jars holds it down and i cut it pretty snug so it's fits tightly ... hope all this helps! ♥

I think this is so cute. I have a question about the lids. Did you attach the lids to to the rings, or do you just pop them off when you open each one? I use some Ball jars around the house for odds and ends, and that's the only thing that annoys me sometimes, having to pop the lids off.

I attempted these…and was fairly successful! It's quite possibly the first project I actually completed haha I only did 6 but they look so much cuter in my cabinets than those plastic spice containers! I was wondering, would priming the metal parts of the lids make them feel not so…strange?

I have a blog too, but I'm not even going to link it yet because I just got started and I don't have anything for anyone to read yet!

OMG....I cannot wait to fix my spices like this. I have wanted to fix the confusion for the longest time. Your so clever.. My niece's spices are in totaldisarray, I'm going to do this for her for a Christmas gift. Thank you so much.

Working on this project now and running into a problem. Maybe someone can help/ has advice/feedback? I primed lids but the primer is already rubbing off. Not sure if the chalkboard paint will stay on since the primer comes off do easily. Anyone else experience this? Thinking of using sandpaper to create a rough surface on the lids- but I'm not sure if I want to put that much energy into this project if it will just be in vain anyways. However, I am already invested in the jars, and 3 paint colors so looking for some advice from you ladies;)

What a great idea and site! Just landed here from a link on Country Living.

After cleaning out the junk drawer in my kitchen, I'll prime the lids on 4-ounce canning jars with Rust-Oleum metal primer before spraying with chalkboard paint. Being a creature of habit, I'll keep my "usual" seasonings in the cupboard next to the stove and dedicate the drawer to baking, canning, and seldom-used spices.

What a wonderful way to clear up an essential kitchen cabinet cluttered with too much stuff. Thank you so much!!!